ATHENS — The curious case of Scott Cochran’s Georgia career has come to a close.

Coach Kirby Smart on Wednesday confirmed that Cochran and Darrell Dickey, another support staffer, left the program. UGASports.com was the first to report Wednesday that Cochran’s office at the Butts-Mehre football complex had been emptied and vacated.

“I want to thank Scott and Darrell for their contributions to Georgia football,” Smart said in a statement released by the UGA sports communications office. “We wish them all the best moving forward.”

Kirk Benedict, who has been a special-teams analysts the past two years, was promoted into Cochran’s post.

Technically, Cochran was not a member of the on-field coaching staff, though he carried the title of special-teams coordinator. He has made at least $550,000 a year since joining Georgia’s staff in 2020 after a long and decorated career as Alabama’s strength-and-conditioning coordinator.

Not long after arriving to be an on-field assistant for the Bulldogs, Cochran took a medical leave of absence. When he returned, he no longer coached on the field but often went on the road to recruit.

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